Mud Vein Review

When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat... and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free.

My Rating 2 little stars

My Review

Let me just start off by saying I didn't read any reviews before buying this book. I bought it on the pure knowledge that Colleen Hoover kept hyping about it, it must be good. Never read anything from this author either. I went in with an untainted pallet. It just wasn't my cup of tea, hence the 2 stars. Why didn't I like it, you ask? Well in a nut shell without spoilers... The plot was confusing, moved to slow, and not active enough. I had to force myself to finish it. The rest may contain slight spoilers, nothing major. I did want to mention that i did connect with one part of the story. When everything around her fell apart. There was this moment when she said she couldn't feel anything. The term used, i believe, was emotional morphine. It lets you numb the pain. That was beautiful and raw. 

Part two *slight spoilers*
Well in a psychological thriller you need a thrill. We have these two characters who wake up trapped in a home, but they can't get out. Instead of planning and trying to break free, they sit it out, even when they are able to open the door why don't they pack their things and run? Make a SOS symbol outside the home or something?? Throughout the novel the characters hardly even touch on the subject that one of them may, in fact, be the perpetrator. Nothing happens. One little accusation. Then they hardly spend time trying to figure out who it was who trapped them. When they figure out it is some sort of game, it takes her forever to do anything to help them get out. The novel spends more time talking about how they eat their food, how much food they have, and who prepares it rather than on the actual premises of the book. I found myself scanning through in boredom about 30% through. Then halfway through the book it suddenly turns into a flashback in past tense, and it comes so sudden. It’s written more like another story and less like a flashback. Throughout the flashback she should have been searching for clue or instances to figure out how they got there and why. In the end, when we find out who it is, it is sudden. I felt like I was hit in the side of the head by a sledge hammer. WTF? No clues are given throughout the book and the motive was still unclear! The book in a whole was to help the character figure out her issues, but I am still unclear as to what her issues were. She claims to be hurt by a first love, or is it that she had some bad luck. Is it because she refuses to feel? I ended this book feeling even more confused than when I started. Why did I give it two stars? I actually gave it three, then went back and took away a star. “No more stars for you!” I don’t know…maybe because the writing was pretty good, but story was just plain confusing. Also from what I understand, this is a new type of book for the writer. So kudos to her for branching out. And kudos to me for actually finishing it. 

Nash by Jay Crownover Review

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down... and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them —or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again? (Goodreads summary)

My rating 5 FREAKING STARS

MY REVIEW

This is by far my most anticipated book of 2014. There has always been something about Nash. Don't get me wrong, I loved Rule, Jet, and Rome as well, but Nash always seemed like a milder character. He was intriguing and well, since I am from Tennessee- gotta love the name Nashville. From the moment we meet Saint in Rome, I was so in love with her character. She seemed different that the other girls, and she exceeded my expectations! She isn't Shaw with all her clean-cut beauty and Archer brothers history. She isn't Ayden with all her "legs" and mystery. She isn't Cora with all her wildness and attitude. Saint is in a level all her own. She doesn't have it all figured out, and her own self esteem may be shot, but she is caring and beautiful on the inside. She cares enough to reach out to Nash even though he broke her heart. Now that is a real woman. The whole dynamic with them knowing each other in high school was so heartbreaking. Nash was the young playboy and Saint was the unpopular geek with a school girl crush. This book took me through every level of their love. From fears to dreams. I was a bit annoyed that Saint always jumped to conclusions, but Nash was able to stay be her side and show his dedication through all of her hard times to prove his loyalty. Nash is, i think, the best Marked man. Who can resist a dragon tattoo and those purple eyes. Beautiful story. Can't wait to get my hands on the next book by Jay

Maybe Someday Colleen Hoover

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one… (goodreads summary)

My Rating 5 STARS!!!

My review

Let me start of by saying how much of a HUGE Colleen Hoover fan I am. Three years ago, I found slammed on kindle and have been obbsesed ever since. She is like the Nicholas Sparks of New Adult. With the perfect blend of romance, she always brings me to tears, I refused to read any reviews or comments about this book because I wanted to go into this book was a clear head. IT. BLEW. ME .AWAY!

Sydney is obsessed with Ridge and his protectiveness, his disability, and his raw talent. The romance between them starts off so innocent and by the end of the book you are rooting for each one with your hand over your head. Let's see I cried...

Then I read some more and cried again. Hoover always does that to me. She knows how to make a character so emotional that you can feel exactly who they are. oh, and the humor. She can make me laugh and cry at the same time. Damn Hoover you've got talent. Now on to the spoilers....

Now or Never Book Review

goodreads summary

Twenty-one year old Grayson Alexander finally breaks away from an abusive relationship and finds herself free for the first time in three years.

Determined to enjoy her new-found freedom, Grayson is intent on sticking with 'no strings attached' relationships—one-night stands, and steamy sex.

But she didn't plan on Derrick. 

Her attraction to the sexy man in uniform quickly turns into an unhealthy relationship. They both try to resist the pull, but neither can stay away. 

When tragedy strikes, Grayson realizes it's now or never—walk away or make it work

My rating 3 stars

My review

The book started out great, but as the book went on I felt as if Grayson didn't develop well at all. If you are looking for a story with growth and a character who is strong and heroic- this isn't the story for you. She makes this big decision to leave her abusive ex boyfriend, but her fears and trama from a physically and mentally abusive relationship are not show throughout the book. There is one scene where she has a flashback when a man's hand grazes her neck- but that is the extent. After volunteering and being around many women at a safe haven home for battered women- I didn't feel like the character portrayed this abuse well. Then the character kept embarrassing herself- I started to feel so bad for her. She was letting men walk all over her, not standing up for herself, and then basically becoming obsessed with the male love interest. It was quiet sad. Then she automatically accepts his apology for screwing her over and all we get is a little explanation at the end of the book on why he was such a jerk. I didn't feel like his character was well portrayed at all. Quiet jerk. That's what I would call him. THEN I kept waiting for the story to be about her abusive ex who was obsessed with her, but he never showed up. Those types of men don't give up. They stalk and beg and cry for forgiveness until someone is hurt or dead. What happened to him? He just disappeared mid way through the book. The writing style by the author was actually pretty well done- except for the fact that I may have enjoyed it better if it were in first person. There were a few instances where I had to keep rereading because I didn't know who was talking or who was saying what.For a free book, this book was satisfying and pretty sad. I wouldn't say I loved it or was blown away, and I may not read another book in the series unless it is free.
Wait...I forgot to add that Grayson has unprotected sex over and over again. The author would have done well to teach her a lesson. Give her herpes or something to make the story interesting....WTH???

What It Takes Review

(Goodreads summary)

After graduating college, Kelsey Morgan left her small-town Virginia roots to make it in LA. After years slogging in commercials and music videos, her movie career is finally taking off. But she's still miles behind her current costar, and Hollywood playboy, Patrick Lyons. Kelsey does everything she can to avoid Patrick off-set, hoping to not become fodder for the supermarket tabloids that scour the streets for Patrick, trying to get an exclusive look at him and his alleged woman of the week. Kelsey has successfully kept Patrick at a distance, and her reputation intact, until her drunkard brother-in-law Richard threatens to ruin everything by selling her darkest secret to the highest bidder. Now the victim of blackmail, Kelsey has nowhere else to turn but to Patrick's arms. But, can he be trusted? Or will the past destroy them all before she can find out if he's the hero she needs?(less)

My Rating 3 stars

My review

I received this ARC novel from net galley for my honest opinion. What it takes is a romantic novel about a girl afraid to let any man in.Kelsey has guarded her heart after having it ripped apart by her college sweetheart. Down the road, Kelsey is about to become the next big thing in Hollywood.. The novel started out strong with a headstrong heroine who doesn't seem to need a man. After the first few chapters, I became bored. There was scene after scene of what felt like uselessness. Parts that felt thrown in, parts I skipped past, parts that didn't really relate to the story at all. I never felt the spark between Kelsey and Patrick, and kept waiting for another leading man to step in and sweep her off her feet. Literally, I felt more passion for the side characters than the leading couple. (caution: the next part may contain spoilers) I found Kelsey annoying as a lead character. First off, she spent the entire novel whining about how her mom does 'whatever it takes' to keep a man happy, and how she would never want to be like that, but she does it the entire novel! She coddles her brother in law and makes excuses for him time and time again. It was rather annoying when she would give him what he wanted. She claims she doesn't want to be part of the tabloids, but she is an actress. Her secrets will come out sooner or later. The writing was a bit different as well. I believe a romance novel like this reads better as a first person POV, but this one was written in third person. The novel seems to go from third person, but switches back and forth as if the narrator can only tell what Kelsey is thinking in one scene, then suddenly the narrator knows what Patrick is thinking, but not Kelsey. Then the next scene the narrator knows what everyone is thinking. It was rather confusing. A novel like this isn't good when you know what all the characters are thinking and doing at the same time. Then Kelsey has a secret throughout the entire book, but refuses to tell us to the very end, even though the secret is predictable. It would have been better to let the secret out and feel Kelsey's struggles with her secret from the beginning.  Did I like the book? Yeah, it took me a while to finish, but I got there. Was I disappointed? Yes. Would I recommend it? No. This story line could have been great, if it were written differently. 3 stars for a nice try.

Because of Low By Abbi Glines Review

Playboy Cage owns the apartment, and he hosts a revolving door of people, in and out, at all times. Most of them are long-legged hot girls who are never there more than a night or two. When Cage’s new roommate, Marcus, enters the picture, he’s just looking to nurse a broken heart. But there’s one particular semi-frequent regular who catches his eye.

Willow—“Low”—is the one Cage wants to marry. But the two of them are night and day, and Marcus can’t see how Low puts up with all of Cage’s womanizing. What she really needs is a real man....like good-looking and sensible Marcus. But that’s going to get real complicated and real messy—real fast. (Amazon summary)
 Buy here

Because of Low (Sea Breeze)

My Rating: 5 stars

My Review

I read this series backwards, sine I hadn’t read Breathe. I fell in love with Low’s character. She is a girl who has a horrible family life (something that Gline’s loves in her characters, I have noticed) After being left by every person in her life, her main support is Cage. At first, I thought Low and Cage’s relationship seemed a bit unhealthy, but after learning more about what they grew up with and had to deal with, I realized that they are the only thing the other person has. I loved Marcus as well. He was sweet, loveable, and totally didn’t let Cage stop him from getting what he wants. The way the story intertwined with their family secrets really made the story pop. Glines always writes these wonderful characters who are so diverse and I love it! While Marcus was a sweet character, I found myself drawn to Cage and his secrets. What makes him the way he is? He was such a mystery in this book. I give this book 5 stars because I love a good romance story, where the character’s love overshadow everything else. I know some people mentioned grammatical errors, but I believe it has been edited since then. I didn’t notice anything

Rome by Jay Crownover Review

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . 

My Rating :5 stars

My Review

I loved Rule, it was by far one of the best books I had read last year. When I saw Rome at the local bookstore, I immediately bought it. Rome is a different character that the normal men in Crownovers book. The passion and growth between Cora and Rome is breathtakingly and beautiful. They learn to make something good out of a bad situation. I love how the author blends all the books together with the storylines and the move one one book to the other is seamless. Cora is one of my favorite female characters, she has spunk and is not afraid to say what she thinks. I kept picturing Channing Tatum as Rome, perfect cast! I don't think I have anything bad to say about this book, its another five star book from Jay Crownover. I will be meeting her this summer, and am ecstatic about getting my copy of Rome signed.  

Mary Bennet Review

No one who has ever seen me would suppose me a heroine. My situation in life, the character of my father and mother, indeed my own person and disposition are all against me.
MARY BENNET
Mrs Bennet is determined that all five of her daughters must marry. Mary overhears a conversation between her parents that shatters her already fragile sense of self-worth. She knows she is the least attractive of the sisters but to hear that her attempts to overcome this by being intelligent and accomplished are laughable sends her into a deep depression.
Mary and her her sister Kitty are sent to Derbyshire so that their elder sister, Mrs Darcy, can introduce them to suitable young gentlemen. Mary is satisfied to remain a spinster and is shy with gentleman. But she does decide she should try and improve herself.
On the way to Derbyshire she meets a strange gentleman who she considers ill mannered. However she is intrigued by his knowledgeable conversation about old buildings.
On arrival at Pemberley, the home of the Darcy’s, Mary discovers that the stranger is a Mr Sharnbrook of Kent and also a house guest. Mr Sharnbrook is an amateur archaeologist and has come to Pemberley to excavate possible burial mounds as part of his studies. Mary is interested in his work and offers to help him sort out his notes. Engrossed in the work, her spirits begin to lift.
A continuation of Pride and Prejudice beginning eight months after the end of Jane Austen's novel, Mary Bennet tells the story of how the Bennet's neglected middle daughter tries to overcome the disadvantages of her character and find happiness.

My Rating:4

My Review

Mary Bennet, another Bennet sister looking for love and happiness. I loved Pride and Prejudice, and Allan has continued  the story with another of the beloved sisters. From the writing, to the language, it felt as if nothing had changed, and I was back in the world of innocent love, lavish lifestyles, and ancient traditions. I was gifted a copy of this book for review by the author, and I was not disappointed. As always, I don't like to give away spoilers to a good book, but I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Fan of Jane Austin. I gave this book four stars because it was a great story and if I was given a challenge to write a book set in that time frame, you better believe I would have messed the language up. You will love reading about Mary and Mr. Sharnbrook.

The Vincent Brothers By Abbi Glines Review

Summary
Getting a boy to fall head-over-heels in love with you isn’t easy. Especially when he’s been in love with your cousin for as long as you can remember.

Lana has lived her life in her cousin’s shadow. Ashton always made perfect grades, had tons of friends, and looks model-perfect. And she’s always had Sawyer Vincent—the only boy Lana’s ever wanted—wrapped around her finger. But now things are different. Lana has a chance to make Sawyer see her, and she’s taking it. If only he’d get over Ashton—because Lana is sick of second-best.

Sawyer’s heart is broken. He’s lost his best girl to his best friend. And then Lana comes to town. Ashton’s cousin has always been sweet and soft-spoken, but now she’s drop-dead gorgeous as well. Sawyer doesn’t know if Lana can heal his broken heart, but spending time with her might at least make Ashton jealous.

What starts as a carefree fling becomes a lusty game of seduction. Sawyer and Lana may have different motives, but their scintillating hookups are the same kind of steamy

My Rating:5

My Review:

Wow! Abbi Glines has done it again!  I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Abbi has written a wonderful tale about high school and the woes of lover. Sawyer is in love with Ash, doesn't think he will ever get over her, then here comes Lana,Ash's cousin, who has been in love with Sawyer for years. Now that him and Ash are broken up, she is ready to make her move. The only problem? Will Sawyer ever let Ash go long enough to love Lana? This book hits all the high notes of being a new adult in love. The jealousy, the flirtation, the fear, she writes it all so well I even reminisced about my own yesteryear's (a decade ago! I can't believe it!) You could actually feel Sawyer's pain as he had to watch his brother and Ash together. The characters were well developed and the storyline was fast paced. I really don't have anything bad to say about this book, which never happens! All I can say is, pick up this book, and read it!!!!

Jet By Jay Crownover Review

Summmary

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

My rating- 5 star

My review:

Jet is a story about a couple who aren’t a different as they seem to think. Ayden is a country gal from Kentucky with a past that she isn’t proud of and Jet is a rock and roll musician that every girl dreams of falling in love with. They are living as roommates trying to keep a platonic relationship, but still having to deal with these romantic feelings that they try and hide from each other. I can say, without a doubt, that I LOVED this book. Jay Crownover has to be one of the best writers out there. Her stories always come out clean, well edited and flow so seamlessly and her characters are so diverse. You can tell that she has a flair for writing what she loves, and she knows these characters from the inside out. Even the back story of each character is intriguing. I love that each story does include the other characters, so it feels like a continuation of every other book from another point of view. Crownover creates a story with new adults, put in adult situations, that ACTUALLY act like adults. Does that make any sense? So many times I see writers who try and write books with adult characters, but the writing is so immature- not the case here! Sure Ayden can be a bit frustrating at times, afraid to open herself to hurt, but after learning about her past who can blame her? These are completely flawed characters who need relationships to help make them a better person. The best kind! Can’t wait until book four comes out! 5 stars for this wonderful book!

The Breeders Review

Sixteen-year-old Riley Meemick is one of the world's last free girls. When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race. Her parents do everything possible to keep her from their clutches-- moving from one desolate farm after another to escape the Breeders' long reach. The Breeders control everything- the local war lords, the remaining factories, the fuel. They have unchecked power in this lawless society. And they're hunting Riley.

When the local Sheriff abducts the adult members of her family and hands her mother over to the Breeders, Riley and her eight-year-old brother, Ethan, hiding in a shelter, are left to starve. Then Clay arrives, the handsome gunslinger who seems determined to help to make up for past sins. The problem is Clay thinks Riley is a bender-- a genderless mutation, neither male nor female. As Riley's affection for Clay grows she wonders can she trust Clay with her secret and risk her freedom?

The three embark on a journey across the scarred remains of New Mexico-- escaping the Riders who use human sacrifice to appease their Good Mother, various men scrambling for luck, and a deranged lone survivor of a plague. When Riley is shot and forced into the Breeder's hospital, she learns the horrible fate of her mother—a fate she'll share unless she can find a way out


My rating: 3 stars
My review:
Breeders is a story about a young girl living in a futuristic America, due to a chemical the ability to bear females was lost by the population. I picked it up because I love Dystopian books, and it looked promising.
When Riley's home is ambushed by the law, her mother is taken to the breeders and she is desperate to find a way to get her mother back. With the help of her "enemy" a young boy named Clay, she sets out to get her mother back, This book is suspensful and has a great concept although I am not "wowed" by the presentation.
Here are a few reasons why, and they contain very little spoilers.
1. The actual premises to this world is not told until nearly halfway through the book. This leaves the reader wondering what the heck is going on during the first part of the book. It is confusing.
2. The character descriptions are vague. For example, her younger brother’s age is not told until towards the end. I was wondering the entire book how old he is. Is he 7 or 5 or is he older around 10? He is only stated as her younger brother. For a young child, knowing his age is crucial. Looks are also lightly touched on.
3. The world doesn't feel believable. The book states that by the time the government figured out what was going on, at the next census, it was too late and the damage had already been done. One census is not long enough to cause irreversible damage and what about the rest of the world? It never tells about if they were affected as well, but the book leads us to believe that they aren't. Can we not rebuild with other countries? We can pick baby gender right now, though it is done in a lab, why can this not be done in the book?
Though the concept sounds great, in reality, I don't think the breeding issues were well explained or thought out. 
4. Riley acts like a 10 year old. Though the writer is trying to make her out to be this strong heroine, she doesn't play out the role well on paper. She complains, whines, and makes terrible decisions that ultimately cause problems. She even throws things in the face of the boy who is helping her, Clay. She is quite immature and rude about it, and growing up in such a harsh world and reality, I don't understand why this character isn't more mature.
6. When they are rescued from the Breeders, they wait until they get to their destination before they take out her tracking device in the back of her neck, in what world does this happen? So they can track you all the way to where you are staying and then come get you? No way, that should have been the first thing to go.
There were other things that made no sense and were very irritating, but overall. I finished the book, it was a good storyline, the writing could be clearer and the characters could be better developed. I don’t think I am going to be reading book two, but a nice little read nonetheless. Click the link below to buy from amazon
The Breeders (The Breeders Series (Young Adult Dystopian))

Reviews to come this week

Jet and Rome, both by Jay Crownover (one of my new favorites) and a book called  The Breeders.

Love Like the Movies Review by Victoria Van Tiem

Written by: Victoria Van Tiem

Summary
In this irresistible romantic romp, movie fanatic Kensington Shaw is thrown into love—Hollywood-style—when her gorgeous ex presents a series of big screen challenges to win back her heart.

What girl wouldn’t want to experience the Pretty Woman shopping scene? It’s number two on the list. Or, try the lift from Dirty Dancing? It’s number five. One list, ten romantic movie moments, and a handful of shenanigans later, Kenzi has to wonder . . . should she marry the man her family loves, or risk everything for a love like the movies?


My rating: 4 stars
My review: 
I had heard some good reviews on this book, so I decided to buy it one night and see what the fuzz was about. Kensington Shaw is a girl in love, but is the man that she is engaged to really the one? What about the man who broke her heart  seven years ago, does he deserve a second chance? Kensington is in search of a love like the movies.
Writing Style: This book is well edited, and wonderfully put together. How the author matches up all the movie scenes and quotes goes so well in the book. As a child of the 90's, these movies are all my all time favorite.
Character Development: Kensi, her parents, her friends, the characters are all wellrounded and I could really get a feel on them.
Ease of reading: Yes, Yes, and Yes! Totally easy to read, and the way the author had integrated social media into everyday life and relationship, very believable.
Storyline: The story line flowed wonderfully, my only pout was that I guess the ending, which is typical for this type of romantic story. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book, and is a fan of those romantic movies, because this book plays out so many of those scenes. It even made me want to pull out my old DVD player and watch a few of them.

Review by Bree (bookswithbree.com)

Wrecked Review

“There would be no happy ending for us. He was too damaged. I was too broken.”

Two years ago, Lorrie’s mother was murdered. But that wasn’t the end of it. Reeling from the tragedy, Lorrie’s father spiraled into alcohol, depression, and finally suicide.

The two most important people in Lorrie’s life are both gone but she’s still alive.

Trying to recover from the tragedy, Lorrie returns to campus, ready to pick up the pieces of her life. All Lorrie wants is to get back to “normal.”

Then she meets Hunter. The man, the legend, “the Hammer.”

Hunter is a cage fighter who takes on every fight like he’s got nothing to lose. His life is a tangled mess of girls, booze, and fist fights. And while it may seem like he’s got a devil-may-care attitude, he’s fighting a private cage-match with a monster he can’t defeat.

Lorrie knows that Hunter is the exact type of guy she should stay away from, especially in her fragile state, but Hunter has other ideas.

As Hunter and Lorrie grow closer together, will they be able to overcome their pain and heal each other? Or will they both end up wrecked?

My rating: 4

My review:

If you like Beautiful disaster, you will love this book! It is a dark book all about pain, fighting, and how to love. Hunter and Lorrie are two well developed characters that invite you on their roller coaster ride of emotions. Hunter was my favorite character, he knows what he wants and fights for it. I received this book for free, for my honest opinion and I was blown away. The only reason I gave this book a four star review is because the ending. The entire book is all from Lorrie's point of view, then all of a sudden it keeps swapping back and forth, it was needed to make the book understandable, but was confusing. The fact that Hunter kept all of these secrets, they never really talked, oh it made me blow a gasket. BE HONEST, HUNTER. Please?

Three Broken Promises

Summary- Commitment. That’s what I really want from Colin. Ever since my brother, Danny, died in Iraq, Colin’s done so much to help me, including giving me a job at his popular restaurant so I can leave my crappy waitressing job at the strip joint. But lying in bed with him every night to comfort him from his horrible nightmares isn’t enough anymore. I know he feels guilty about Danny’s death, about not going to Iraq, but I can’t keep living this double life. 

I love him desperately, but he’s got so many demons, and if he can’t open up to me now, then he’ll never be the real partner I need him to be. I gave him a month, and now I’m out of here. If he truly loves me like he says, he knows where to find me

My rating: 4

My review:
How I loved Fable, but Jen? Jen is a character all screwed up on her own. The romance between Jen and Colin was agonizing and left me tear stained. Two broken souls to afraid to take a chance and be with each other. Colin make a promise to Jen's dead brother that he would take care of her, but Jen wants to be free of her past, and make her own way.  I cried when I read this book, it tugged at a part of me I had forgotten about. Being afraid of love because you are ashamed of your past. Though the book was wonderful and I loved it, the only reason I gave it four stars is because I found it frustrating. Jen told Colin time and time again that she wanted him, and even Fable told him that Jen was in love with him, but I never really understood why he wouldn't be with her. He gave excuses and kept wondering why she was leaving, all he had to do was say "STAY"...but i guess if it was that simple there would have been no book. Nonetheless, this was a great read, if you are a huge fan of Monica Murphy, this is a must read.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn Review

Summary

There’s only one man for Bonnie, and that’s Holden Finn.

The problem is that Holden Finn is a twenty-three-year-old pop megastar with his boy band, Every Which Way, and has no idea she exists. Not only that, but half the women in the world want to be Mrs Finn, including Bonnie’s teenage daughter, Paige. The real men in Bonnie’s life do nothing but let her down, but a man you can’t possibly have can never do that… right?

Then Paige wins a radio competition to meet Holden and the band, and Bonnie’s carefully-constructed world starts to unravel. She is about to find out that you should be very, very careful what you wish for …

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Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn

My Rating: 3 stars 

My review 

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. After reading this summary, It looked so interesting. After reading the likes of celebrity type books such as Love Unrehearsed, I wanted to find out what this book was all about. HDTHF is a sweet novel about Bonnie, a thirty something year old single mother who has a crush on rock star Holden Finn. Feeling undeserving of love, Bonnie finds herself in a predicament. Holden Finn wants Bonnie. What’s even worse is she finds herself caught up between three different men! (No spoilers!)

Writing Style: Tennant has a great writing style. The book is wonderfully edited, and consistent. The wit of the characters were hilarious.

Character Development: Bonnie’s development in the book shows a lot. The rest of the characters, I didn’t feel I knew in the end. What was Holden’s driving force with Bonnie? I wish that Paige and Bonnie could have bonded more, maybe over her father or even Holden. Max was more of a side character than Bonnie’s good friend. I would have liked to see some more one on one time with them both to see sparks.

Ease of Reading: This is more of a problem with me and will be different for each reader. I am not British; therefore I did not understand a lot of the slang in the book. There was a lot of slang in this book, and I have read many books set in the U.K. I did find myself distracted by this slang, not sure what it meant and confused.

Storyline/ Subject matter: I was a little disappointed. The book was titled “Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn” though there really wasn’t much Holden in the book, and I wouldn’t really say he is in the book very much at all. It consists of them meeting, him hitting on her, asking her out, then he calls her a few times. There isn’t much of a romance between them. The book is more about her learning to move on and date.

Even though I say this, I want to compare it to something else. Ever picked up a glass expecting juice, only to realize you picked up your child’s cup and got a mouth full of milk? Well, If you haven’t. it sucks, to be expecting something, and get something else. I guess that’s how I felt with this book. From the summary, I expected a different type of book. I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I hadn’t been expecting a romance between Holden and Bonnie. Still, this is a good read which I would recommend. I just want to clarify in case someone else picks up the book. I would recommend this book to all readers who want a light-hearted romantic read with slight humor. I give these book three stars. I liked it, minus a few disappointments.

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(Kindle Lending Library, February Pick) Left Drowning, Jessica Park.

Left Drowning, Jessica Park.


I read this book in a span of five hours. Huddled over my kindle, late at night, watching over sick child, unable to sleep, unable to put it down. This story follows Blythe and Chris, two lost souls whose pasts and futures are entangled together. After the death of her parents, she is unable to let anyone in, that is until she meets Chris. Chris helps her learn to live again, and don't forget he gets help from his close knit siblings.Chris' brother, Sabine, has to be my favorite character, his whit and dramatics had me cracking up in bed. This novel touches on dark subjects (no spoilers) that ultimately show how parents much parents shape and affect their children, even the lack of their presence affects a child deeper than can be explained. This is my first novel by Park, and she did a wonderful job creating likable, believable characters who tugged my heart into their love story. About 70% of the way into the book I told myself ' one last chapter, then i am going to bed' then I hit the climax of the novel. It made me cry out, "what in the world is Chris doing?" then I sobbed into my pillow hoping and resisted the urge to skip to the end. Oh, but how happy I am that I waited, because the story unfolded nicely. Five stars to Park, for writing this! Last night's sleeplessness was so worth it!
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Left Drowning

Walking Dead Graphic Novels- Books 1-4

This is my first journey into the world of graphic novels, and I was very impressed.  The pictures were intriguing and told the story well. Some of the pictures were a bit to graphic for my eyes, no biggie, I just read and looked away Ha ha. I did have to keep reminding myself to look at the pictures as well as the text, it was a hard habit to get into. Book 1-3 really caught my attention. They seemed to really grasp the everyday struggles a party would have if a zombie outbreak did occur. Book 4 was a bit more difficult to get into. It was more about the relationships of the group, not so much about the zombies. In all this is a very successful dive into graphic novels. I will finish them up! I give this series a 3/5 stars. A bit to violent for my taste, but I'm sure others will love them!

Catching Heat (ARC Review)

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I had never read anything by this author, but the summary caught my eye. Unplanned pregnancy, baseball players, and falling in love? Yes, my type of romance! This is a novel about Angie and J.T. whom shared a passionate night that results in an unplanned pregnancy. When Angie loses her job, J.T's offer of marriage becomes more appealing. Angie wants nothing to do with ball players, and J.T wants nothing more than to be there during every part of his child's life. The writing style of Packard is well-written and clear. She makes the characters witty and believable. She is able to back up every "what if" question I had. So many times, I read a book, only to be like "What in the hell are you thinking???" I didn't feel that way with Catching Heat. I fell in love with both the characters. I didn't guess the ending either. (No spoilers) but I figured J.T would do something...and it never happened. Nothing better than a book that keeps you guessing! A marriage of convenience isn't that far fetched. It happens! I love the character building. I promise you- you will see the characters grow and change from the beginning to the end. Even the minor characters are believable, and they don't distract from the story. From Angie's jerk of a mother to J.T's investigating brother, each character helps the story progress. I read the book in one sitting, pulling an all nighter (which i rarely do these days since I have to be at work at 7am) then went out and bought another book from this great author! I give this book 5 stars, because its a believable love story that made me laugh and cry.

I won't give away any spoilers because I hate when i accidentally read something, but Packard has definitely gotten me hooked!

Book Summary

Life has taught Angie DeMarco that all baseball players are womanizers, and her incredible one-night stand with sexy San Francisco Blaze back-up catcher J.T. Sawyer seemed to prove it. Determined not to give in to their sizzling chemistry a second time, she’s kept her distance ever since, focusing on her accounting job with the team. But now she’s laid off…and pregnant.

J.T. was hurt by Angie’s rejection, but with one more year with the Blaze, he has no time for love. He needs to spend the off season training hard so he can negotiate a better contract with a new team at the end of the year. But when Angie shows up on his doorstep, he‘s overwhelmed by wanting to not just do right by her but pursue a relationship with her. Hoping for a second chance, he proposes.

Angie agrees to marry J.T. on one condition: the marriage will be purely a business arrangement. But as Angie spends time with him and his family, and J.T. neglects his training to spend time with her, what begins as a union in name only slowly grows into something more—something that looks a whole lot like love and friendship.

(Kindle Lending Library-January Pick) Falling into Infinity

Pre-med student Caroline “Charlie” Collins, a sophomore at Texas A&M, knows exactly what she wants in life and the order that it will happen: finish college, complete medical school, and then fall in love. A chance meeting with A&M’s star quarterback Colin McKinney changes everything. A friendship between the two grows over time and blossoms into a powerful love affair. Charlie and Colin must learn to cope with his transition to playing professional football, the crushing attention of the media, and constant demands of his fans. At the same time, she’s struggling with how her dream of attending medical school will fit into their already stressed relationship and Colin’s new life. Falling Into Infinity asks the question is just loving someone enough to make a relationship work?

Review

This is a book about Charlie and her college boyfriend. Thier struggles with fame and family really put a damper on their relationship. I have to say, while reading this book, I was torn on if I should give this novel a 4 or 3 star review. It wasn't a bad story, but the writing was very immature. The first chapter involves the main character talking like a 16 year old. She gets drunk with her friend, brags on her rich boyfriend, but for a girl who has such high ambitions....I don't know maybe me experiences are different. Seems to me, a girl with such low self esteem and hopes to go to Harvard Medical school would start the year off differently. The books does this thing where it flips back and forth from all four years of highschool and then to eight years after. It was hard to keep up with. I couldn't remember what college year I was reading. Then her boyfriend is very controlling, but we never know exactly why. His character development is pretty limited. Overall, I give this book a 3 star review, because the storyline wasn't so bad, and I did finish it! It was a cute free read, but I don't think I will be reading anything else in the series. Didn't love it, but don't hate it.

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